Change the Story – Let’s Talk About Poverty Without the Stigma.

Through our work with the Edinburgh and South East Scotland City Region Deal's Intensive Family Support Service at Capital City Partnership, we have spent the past year collaborating with families and organisations across the region to address a challenge that often goes unnoticed: poverty-related stigma. This issue goes beyond material deprivation, deeply affecting people's dignity, self-esteem, and how those in poverty are viewed and treated in society.

As Ruth Lister, Professor Emerita of Social Policy, put it:
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"Poverty is not just about a lack of resources, it is also about shame and stigma, the daily humiliations that people experience."
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Parents and young people shared that poverty-related stigma is experienced daily within their communities. Harmful stereotypes, judgmental attitudes, and discriminatory practices affect how people access support, contributing to their isolation and marginalisation.

Change the Story: Co-Designed by Families

To tackle the issue of poverty-related stigma, we developed Change the Story through a co-design process that actively involved families affected. Over 30 families, including parents and young people, shared their personal experiences of stigma. These experiences shaped the Commitment, ensuring that its principles of dignity, equality, and inclusivity are grounded in reality.

We collaboratively developed a set of actionable principles and guidelines to help organisations fully understand the scope of the issue and take proactive steps towards mitigating stigma. Signing the Change the Story Commitment shows dedication to addressing and reducing the stigma associated with poverty that many people experience, particularly those who rely on support services. It is designed for anyone working to support individuals and families, including practitioners, project staff, community, and statutory organisations.

Fife’s Stigma Toolkit

Change the Story was inspired by the experiences of families in Fife, Scotland, working with the Making it Work for Families Project to create a practical Stigma Toolkit. Developed in partnership with The Poverty Alliance, the toolkit offers concrete tools and strategies to combat stigma and enhance support practices. This resource is being rolled out across Scotland alongside the Commitment, providing tools for organisations to address stigma at its roots.

Why Stigma Matters

Stigma can involve negative assumptions, prejudice, and discrimination. Stigma is often rooted in moral judgements about what is wrongly assumed to be a choice. It can lead to discrimination, marginalisation, and the unjust treatment of individuals based on characteristics such as race, gender, sexuality, health, or wealth.

For many people, the shame and embarrassment tied to being poor is as damaging as the financial hardship itself. The emotional toll can erode self-esteem and prevent people from seeking help.

Addressing stigma is key to breaking the cycle of poverty and ensuring that every individual feels valued and respected, regardless of their circumstances.

Stigma isn’t just an individual problem - it's systemic. That’s why Change the Story calls on services and organisations to examine their practices, question unconscious biases, and commit to creating environments where people in poverty can access support without fear of judgement.

What’s Next?

We encourage everyone - individuals, community groups, and organisations - to reflect on how they can help eliminate stigma.

We’re excited to announce that Change the Story and its accompanying resources will be launched soon. This framework will empower individuals, community organisations, and service providers to work together in creating a stigma-free Scotland.

By embracing the Commitment and utilising resources like the Stigma Toolkit, we can collectively foster a more just and compassionate society.

A further update on Change the Story will be shared with the LEP and Joined Up for Jobs networks once the campaign is finalised and accessible online.